Customer Reviews

Edgar Wallace's The Terror

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1939's "The Terror" is essentially a stagebound affair, but intriguing nonetheless.

Three men hold up a gold shipment, and the mysterious ringleader disappears with the swag while pointing the police at his two fellow crooks. Ten years later, the crooks are released from prison and swear revenge on their former boss, whom even the police think non-existant. Naturally, the crooks track down the bad guy, and everyone winds up at the haunted monastery-turned-mansion/hotel. The guests stopping at the hotel face ghosts, dark stormy nights, mysterious organ music, and murder.

"The Terror" is notable for two things; first, it has an early role for Bernard Lee, who later found lasting fame as "M" in the James Bond movies. It's fun to see him play a mystery man/drunk/hero in comparison to his more famous role. Second, we have a good turn by Alistair Sim as a supporting character, the the crook called "Soapy". Sim is poorly represented on DVD, although he was a simply phenominal actor. His lasting fame is the definitive portrayal of Ebeneezer Scrooge in the 1951 classic "A Christmas Carol", but he was also outstanding in "Hue and Cry" and "Green for Danger", both currently unavailable.

The movie is slightly a cut above the usual programmer, and there's a spot or two of comedy to help things along.

While there isn't a great deal of plot in "The Terror" it makes up for in nice atmosphere and above average performances. It centers on three men who rob a gold shipment but then one of them betrays the other two allowing them to be caught by the police and sent to prison for years. When they are released from prison they set their sights on tracking the man down and trail him to an old monastery/mansion complete with all of the usual Old Dark House trappings including a creepy butler, ghosts, mysterious organ music and, of course, a murderer on the loose. A couple of things make this stand out, notably Bernard lee as Inspector Bradley. Lee would go on to play "M" in several james Bond Films. Also co-starring is Alastair Sim who would become legendary for his performance as Scrooge in the best version of Dickens' A Christmas Carol in 1951. The performances and atmosphere help this one rise above many of its peers of the same period.